Sheffield Wednesday: New Owls advisor’s rich scouting past

Liam Hoden

New Owls special advisor Paul Senior claims to have recommended Christian Eriksen to Tottenham Hotspur five years before he joined the club.

Senior yesterday became the third advisor to be appointed by Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri, joining Glenn Roeder and Adam Pearson who arrived last month.

Very little detail has been provided on the nature on Senior’s role at Hillsborough but it appears likely his expertise in international scouting will be exploited.

He claims to have earmarked Denmark international midfielder Eriksen as a potential signing in 2008 for then-employers Spurs.

Had his advice been taken up, Eriksen as a 16-year-old would have been available to the North London club for a tiny fraction of the reported £11m they would ultimately pay for him.

Senior was a youth coach with West Ham United and Crystal Palace before joining Spurs as academy scouting coordinator.

He left White Hart Lane in 2012 to join Charlton Athletic as the club’s head of academy recruitment.

Website Bleacher Report said earlier this year Senior claims to have ‘personally detected and successfully recruited to professional clubs more than 100 players currently playing Premier League, Championship and other levels of league football in the UK and abroad.’

He also claims that the players he has helped recruit have generated more than £200m in transfer fees.

Owls owner Chansiri welcomed his appointment. He said: “I would like to officially welcome Paul to Hillsborough and I am delighted to bring on board such an outstanding football individual.

“His achievements in the game speak for themselves and his knowledge will significantly enhance our off-field operation.

“Paul will focus on a clear role of responsibility alongside Adam, Glenn and Stuart (Gray) as my vision for our club continues to evolve.

“It is imperative for the short, medium and long term success of Sheffield Wednesday that I surround myself with football industry professionals with defined expertise and Paul fits that remit to the letter.”